Gert: Created page with "=== Raising === * There is a special verb class called subject raising verbs. * These verbs are easy to identify by applying the following tests. * If the verb passes theses..."

2020-11-30T08:42:09Z

Created page with "=== Raising === * There is a special verb class called subject raising verbs. * These verbs are easy to identify by applying the following tests. * If the verb passes theses..."

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=== Raising ===

* There is a special verb class called subject raising verbs.
* These verbs are easy to identify by applying the following tests.
* If the verb passes theses tests, then it is a subject raising verbs.
* Usually, if the verb passes one of these tests, then it passes all of them.

=== Subject raising verb Test Nr. 1===

If the verb V takes a non-finite VP-complement headed by the verb '''rain''', then V must take the idiomatic word it as its subject.

Illustration:

(1) 
a. Itidiom rained. 
b. Itidiom will rain. 

(2) 
a. * The student rained. 
b. * The student will rain.

=== Subject raising verb Test Nr. 2 ===

If the verb V takes a non-finite VP-complement headed by a verb that selects an idiomatic NP as its subject, then V must take this idiomatic NP as V’s subject.

Illustration:

(1) 
a. All hellidiom brokeidiom loose. 
b. All hellidiom will breakidiom loose.

(2) 
a. * An accidentidiom brokeidiom loose. 
b. * An accidentidiom will breakidiom loose.

=== Subject raising verb Test Nr. 3 ===

If the verb V takes a non-finite VP-complement headed by a verb that imposes semantic requirements on its subject, then V must impose those same semantic requirements on V’s subject.
Illustration:

The verb kill only requires of its subject that it express some kind of force that kills the referent of the direct object. That force can be alive or not:

(3) 
a. The student willV kill the politician. 
b. The accident willV kill the politician.

In contrast, the verb assassinate requires its subject to express a person. Forces cannot assassinate anyone!

(4) 
a. The student willV assassinate the politician. 
b. * The accident willV assassinate the politician.

The same case can be made with the verbs like (which requires a living being as its subject) or happen (which requires an event as its subject).

=== Subject raising verb Test Nr. 4 ===

If the verb V takes a non-finite VP-complement headed by a verb that selects a subject of a particular syntactic category, then V must select a subject of the same syntactic category.

Illustration:

The verb like requires its subject to be an NP:

(5) 
a. [NP The student] willV like the politician. 
b. * [S That the student smokes] willV like the politician.

In contrast, the verb annoy allows its subject to be an NP or an S:

(6) 
a. [NP The student] willV annoy the politician. 
b. [S That the student smokes] willV annoy the politician.

The student

[[File:Will.JPG|350px]]

Syntax 1 Wiki: Week 9 - Revision history

Gert: Created page with "=== Raising === * There is a special verb class called subject raising verbs. * These verbs are easy to identify by applying the following tests. * If the verb passes theses..."